Folding crate



E, P. AND1. L. CARPENTER. FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED MAYG. I9|5| 1,306, 1 36.5 Patented June 10, 1919.

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` EDWARD P. CARPENTER, or ELMIRA HEIGHTS, AND JOHN L. CARPENTER, 0EPOTSDAM,

NEW YORK.

FOLDING CRATE.

, Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed May s, 1916. serial No. 96,174.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it lknown that we, EDWARD P. CAR- PENTER and JOHN L. CARPENTER,citizens of the United States, residing at Elmira Heights and Potsdam,respectively, in the counties of Chemung and St. Lawrence, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingCrates; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the class of folding crates, and hasparticular reference to returnable folded crates, which are adapted forshipping produce and other perishable material.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a collapsible cratewhich can be4 quickly folded into a compact state for return shipment,and also to provide a device of this character which will be strong anddurable when in set up position and in which the parts are effectivelyheld from displacement when in their set up condition.

In the shipment of perishable market products to market centers, ademand has been created for collapsible crates and shipping receptacleswhich while possessing all of the requisite strength to withstand thehard usage of short trip shipments, may also be taken down or collapsedinto a compact form for return shipment, so that they may be usedrepeatedly.

As above stated, our invention has for its object to provide such adevice, and with this, and other objects which will hereinafter appear,in view, our invention will now be fully set forth and described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shipping receptacle in set upcondition,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the crate in folded condition, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. i Y

Referring more particularly to said drawings, 1 indicates the top of thereceptacle or crate which is hinged to the rear side 2 as by an insidehinge 3. The 'rear side 2 is hinged along its lower longitudinal edge tothe bot-` tom 4 as by an outside hinge 5. Said bottom 4 is providedalong itsforward longitudinal edge with a vertical upstanding flange 6to whose upper free end is hinged the front side 7 as bythe outsidehinge 8.

End piecesv 9 and 10 are hinged to the transverse edges ofthe bottom 4by means of hinges 11 and 12 in such relation to the bottom 4 that the'ends 9 and 10 may fold inwardly upon the bottom. The vertical edges ofthe ends 9 and 10 are provided with the voutwardlyrturned llanges 13which interit to form lock joints with the recesses 14 which are formedby turning `the vertical edges of the ends of the front and rear sidesto surround the flanges 13. When the ends 9 and 10 are in in theposition above described, they are locked in position by means of leafsprings 15 which are riveted or otherwise formed in the front and rearsides of the device. The springs 15 are shaped to normally project fromthe recesses 16 behind the elevated ends 9 and 10 to lock the latter inposition, but may be depressed into the recesses 16 to release the endpieces so that the latter may be dropped into folded position.

The top 1 of the receptacle is hinged to the upper edge of the rear sideupon the hinges 3, and is flanged upon its front edge, the 'znge 19being of such depth that the ends, s1 es therebehind, as willhereinafter appear. In the extended or set up position of thereceptacle, the flange 19 of the top 1 depends over the front of thereceptacle and aids in holding the latter in rigid relation. The loweredge of the front portion ofthe flange 19 has hinged thereto the hasp 20having openings 23 through which are engaged staples 21 and 22, carriedby the front 7, when the receptacle is set up for shipment.

In folding the receptacle for return shipment or storage, the lid or top1 is first raised after which the ends 9 and 10 are released from thespring clips 15 and folded inwardly upon the bottom 4, said. ends 9 andand 'bottom' may be compactly folded 10, and the flanges 13 thereof,lying below the level of the upper edge of the flange 6 on the frontedge of the bottom. The front side 7 is then folded inwardly upon theends 9 and 10 with its staples 21 and 22 directed upwardly, the flange 6allowing said front side to lie Hat upon the ends. The rear side or back2 is then swung rearwardly and downwardly and under the bottoni il,

with its inner face against the under face within the limits of the top1 and its depending flange 19.

The operation and use. of our improved apparatus has been clearlybrought out in the course of the foregoing description, so that afurtherrehearsal thereof is not required, but it will be evident thatthe present invention provides a simple, adequate shipping crate orreceptacle which may be readily folded for return` shipment in suchextension and arrangement to depend overthe front member when the crateis set 'up and to vproject `beyond the front member when the crate isfolded as stated, and a hasp carried -by the flange and having a pair ofopenings therethrough disposed to receive the staples respectively whenthe crate is set up 'and to receive in the outer one of them the upperone of the staples when the crate isfoldedas specified.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDLWVARD P. CARPENTER. JoHN L. CARPENTER.

Witnesses Jfsf H- LEAHY, GEO. M. GARFIELD. v

Copies of this patent n iay be obtained for ve cents each, vbyaddressing the Commissioner of PatentsE Washington, D. C. i I

35' ing end members arranged to fold thereon, Y

